[656942]

I own a boat for about 2 years now. I'm doing great with blues, porgy's, black sea bass and fluke. But I just can't hook a striper.

I've been fishing in Jamaica Bay the last 2 weeks. Hitting the radar tower and the round house and the Rockaway jetti. Usually during early morning and late afternoon during out-going tide and in-coming tide.
I've tired live lining, snagged bunker on the treble, bringing the bunker on the boat and sending it back hooked in his mouth or his neck or in his tail.
I don't use any steal leader and i don't use weights.
Just a barrel swivel between 30 pound braid and about 4-5 ft 40 or 50 lb flouro carbon leader.

All I do is hook up blues. Not that blues haven't been giving a nice fight but i really wanna bring home a stripper.

Does anyone have any advice or tips for me?
some new spots
how to find then on the fish finder
when to use what bait ,eels clam
how to rig up



This post edited by MIKEM718 03:26 AM 05/25/2008

 

[Leprechaun]

I don't fish that area, but here's a few points to consider adding to your knowledge base.

Since you are catching plenty of bluefish but no bass, try putting a small weight up ahead of the bunker so that it sinks down below the level at which the blues are feeding - which is typically in the first 10' of the surface.

Better bass will sit below and just behind the ravaged bunker schools and pick off any bunker that the bluefish have mortally wounded. Its how they operate - I think that makes them smarter than the assassin bluefish, but I could be wrong.

Not to mention that bass love to feast on the half bunker that a big bluefish has just cut in two. That's a tip in and of itself - try just the head section of a bluefish sawed-off bunker - get it deep and see if a nice bass doesn't pick it off.

To cut back on the bluefish and increase the odds of getting a decent bass, don't join the crazed boat rush to the next surfaced bunker school and then haphazardly toss your hooked bait into it. Rather, stay back a bit, let the high-speed yahoos do their thing, and you just quietly idle up to where the bunker school WAS, put in your weighted bait(s) and be patient.

See if that tip ups your score a bit.

BTW, I know its not "Politically correct" to suggest this - at least around this site, but buy a box of 2/0 or 3/0 XXX-strength Mustad trebles and give them a try when fishing whole, live bunker. Your hook-up ratio will certainly improve. But just remember to hit the fish a bit sooner than you would with a "J"-hook, so that you hook him in the mouth rather than in the gullet. Another way to cut back on bass mortality - hook the bunker just behind the dorsal fin, instead of thru the jaw(s) - this will usually result in a higher rate of mouth hook-ups.

Once you get the hang of this, you can go (back?) to regular "J" hooks - but right now you need the "jump start" that the better hook-up ratio trebles will give you.

Now some elitist "experts" will refer to trebles as bass "training wheels." I suppose to imply that you are less the fisherman for using them.

Well now, really? I say those people have forgotten how hard it was to get the hang of this fishing in the first place - that goes double if you're trying to get this style of fishing "down" all by yourself - which most of those "experts" did NOT have to suffer through. Its not an easy thing, "home-schooling" yourself in the exquisite art of bass fishing - trust me, I know from this. So do the treble thing to start off and then make a decision for yourself which hooks you will stay with, once you get comfortable with the fine points of bunker fishing.

Also, try using a 1 or 2 oz Bead Chain trolling weight between your main line and the hook leader. That's how I like to do it, on my home grounds offshore of the beaches around Jones Inlet.

Good Luck - and when you get a decent fish - please come back and attach a picture to this thread.

That's the only "repayment" I ever ask for.

Lep

This post edited by Leprechaun 11:30 AM 05/25/2008

 

[BLUEFISH9]

Really simple. People tend to make a big deal out of striper fishing.
In the spring...Put either a live bunker or a chunk on the bottom and hold on. Thats it! Now your a pro.

I also fish Jamaica bay and will offer you this tip: Fishing during the daytime with brightness and 350 other morons is not very productive.

We have world class bass fishing here in Jamaica bay...Dont let people lead you to belive that only the most skilled have success

Bunker on the bottom. Go get em

This post edited by BLUEFISH9 11:38 AM 05/25/2008

 

[rpsurf5]

MIKEM718 wrote:


All I do is hook up blues. Not that blues haven't been giving a nice fight but i really wanna bring home a stripper.



I would not mind bringing home a stripper either , but dont think my wife would like that !

Ok, sounds like you are doing the right things. Some good advice from Lep also. The bass bite has been hot at J-bay so you are in the right spot. Your best bet is first thing in the morning or at night.

The tip on throwing out whats left of a chomped up bunker is a real good one, two weeks ago on my kayak I was live-lining and a bluefish cut my bunker in 1/2 perfectly. Thru it back out there unweighted and it started sinking , BAM, nailed a nice 23lb bass.

Keep at it, try different things, figure out what works and put your time in , success will come.

John

 

[ELIASV]

Look for spots where the Bluefish haven't really invaded. There are plenty I can think of that are void of Blues right now, those might be good testing grounds.

I fish Gerritsen Creek, Mill Basin, and a few other places that didn't see a run of Bluefish until late June. So you can just imagine what it was like to find a school of Bunker back there, automatic jackpots.

 

[Slick56]

BLUEFISH9 wrote:
Really simple. People tend to make a big deal out of striper fishing.
In the spring...Put either a live bunker or a chunk on the bottom and hold on. Thats it! Now your a pro.

I also fish Jamaica bay and will offer you this tip: Fishing during the daytime with brightness and 350 other morons is not very productive.

We have world class bass fishing here in Jamaica bay...Dont let people lead you to belive that only the most skilled have success

Bunker on the bottom. Go get em

Wow if your such a pro and you just stop anywhere and drop bunker and catch bass galor im impressed. There is much much more to just droppin bunker BF9, your kidding right? Just go out and stop anywhere and drop bunker chunks? Why dont you help the guy out and get a little more in detail?

 

[ag3]

My advice is live-line the bunker away from a blitzing school of bunker.

Take the live bunker and put a 2 or 3 ounce weight and drift it over pieces and drops away from the bunker.

And as others said right now its better very early mornig and in the evening.

 

[fish4me]

Advice is on the money. Get it down to the bottom or fish the back of the blitz. Early morning or evening works for me as well.

Some of us like to think its rocket science but it really isnt.

 

[jcstripe]

If your chasing the bunker schools, and getting blues, trying behind the school is a great choice. If the stripers are on that school that is where they will be eating the scraps that are left over by the blues.

 

[Slick56]

fish4me wrote:
Advice is on the money. Get it down to the bottom or fish the back of the blitz. Early morning or evening works for me as well.

Some of us like to think its rocket science but it really isnt.


I didnt read find the bunker school or back of the blitz from BF9

I fish off the school of bunker downtide and send chunks to the bottom. I also live line. I have been having alot of runoffs lately. I use 6/0 Gami circle hooks, thought that was small enough but who knows, maybe the bass are just picking it up and not inhaling it yet that day.

 

[BLUEFISH9]

I think you guys are taking me the wrong way. Im in no way a pro and I catch PLENTY of bass. ITS NOT DIFFICULT!!!!! Perhaps I sound arrogant due to my location...I dont know...maybe you guys really struggle to catch bass in other places but here....no way man.

First of all...I DONT fish bunker schools, and If I ever do, its not intentional. If im anchored and the school passes me ok. but I dont follow the school to fish. I fish regular spots. You can group up with all the other boats and follow the school if you want but personally...You're dealing with a fish that's sensitive to noise and commotion. Engines, Sinkers, Drunks, stereos...No thanks!

Here's what I do...hold on now...ready for the rocket science???

1. I find structure....holes, lumps, etc. (I already have regular spots so I usually skip step one)
2. I mostly fish outgoing tide and avoid bright daylight. Tide is important although I have caught bass during periods of slack water.
3. as previously mentioned, I place bait on the bottom and catch fish.

I swear...Thats it!



This post edited by BLUEFISH9 07:41 PM 05/25/2008

 

[Slick56]

Dude, this bass season sucked outright so far for us Raritan bay guys, maybe its me but I have had a horrible spring bass season so far. I fish the bunker schools downtide. I also fish structure too. The bass are not there in #s. Old Orchard, buglight, shoal areas like roemer, round shoal or flynns knoll have sucked. But here is the thing....with me and my buddy we have young kids and find ourselves out only frpm 8am-4pm always, not a good time for bass so maybe its us
We dont fish Jbay, to far a run for us in a small 1992 20ft proline. Would like to though
Thanks for clarifying that BF9, makes much more sense now.

 

[rpsurf5]

BLUEFISH9 wrote:
I think you guys are taking me the wrong way. Im in no way a pro and I catch PLENTY of bass. ITS NOT DIFFICULT!!!!! Perhaps I sound arrogant due to my location...I dont know...maybe you guys really struggle to catch bass in other places but here....no way man.

First of all...I DONT fish bunker schools, and If I ever do, its not intentional. If im anchored and the school passes me ok. but I dont follow the school to fish. I fish regular spots. You can group up with all the other boats and follow the school if you want but personally...You're dealing with a fish that's sensitive to noise and commotion. Engines, Sinkers, Drunks, stereos...No thanks!

Here's what I do...hold on now...ready for the rocket science???

1. I find structure....holes, lumps, etc. (I already have regular spots so I usually skip step one)
2. I mostly fish outgoing tide and avoid bright daylight. Tide is important although I have caught bass during periods of slack water.
3. as previously mentioned, I place bait on the bottom and catch fish.

I swear...Thats it!



I am with you , its an awesome place to catch bass. I fish there from my kayak from time to time, last 3 trips I had a keeper each time, up to 23lbs. Your right , sometimes its as easy as sending some bunker out there and holding on.

 

[Savvy18]

I think the best advice comes from rpsurf5. Put your time in and you will get the hang of it. That is how all the guys that catch fish (all types of fish) on a regular basis do it. You gotta be in it to win it...

Bluefish is right. When you fish the JFK area of Jamaica Bay for bass, it's like shooting fish in a barrel. If you are patient enough to weed through the bule demons, you will have your payoff...

Early morning bite is the best. And I 'aint talking about 6:00am. Get to bed early if you want the big boys.

 

[Khary23]

I fish with bluefish9 all the time and it is as easy as he says. We only fish the night tides and we stay away fron the crowds. If we don't get a bite with in a half an hour we go to the next spot.

If you want to get past the blues put a fresh head on an unweighted hook and let it drift out and sink. This is how I got my largest fish to date.

This post edited by Khary23 10:01 PM 05/28/2008

 

[656705]

I sometimes stab the bunker and then throw it on the hook. They like the injured fish and it helps get them deeper in the water. Sounds barbaric I know..